ASTM E1486-98(2010)

Standard Test Method for Determining Floor Tolerances Using Waviness, Wheel Path and Levelness Criteria

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method provides statistical and graphical information concerning floor surface profiles.  
Results of this test method are for the purpose of:
Establishing compliance of random or fixed-path trafficked floor surfaces with specified tolerances,  
Evaluating the effect of different construction methods on the waviness of the resulting floor surface,  
Investigating the curling and deflection of concrete floor surfaces,  
Establishing, evaluating, and investigating the profile characteristics of other surfaces, and  
Establishing, evaluating, and investigating the levelness characteristics of surfaces.  
Application:
Random Traffic—When the traffic patterns across a floor are not fixed, two sets of survey lines, approximately equally spaced and at right angles to each other, shall be used. The survey lines shall be spaced across the test section to produce lines of approximately equal total length, both parallel to and perpendicular to the longest test section boundary. Limits are specified in 7.2.2 and 7.3.2.  
Defined Wheel Path Traffic—For surfaces primarily intended for defined wheel path traffic, only two wheel paths and the initial transverse elevation difference (“side-to-side”) between wheels shall be surveyed.  
Time of Measurement—For new concrete floor construction, the elevation measurements shall be made within 72 h of final concrete finishing. For existing structures, measurements shall be taken as appropriate.  
Elevation Conformance—Use is restricted to shored, suspended surfaces.  
RMS Levelness—Use is unrestricted, except that it is excluded from use with cambered surfaces and unshored, elevated surfaces.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers data collection and analysis procedures to determine surface flatness and levelness by calculating waviness indices for survey lines and surfaces, elevation differences of defined wheel paths, and levelness indices using the inch-pound system of units.  
Note 1—This test method is the companion to SI Test Method E1486M; therefore, no SI equivalents are shown in this test method.
Note 2—This test method was not developed for, and does not apply to, clay or concrete paver units.  
1.1.1 The purpose of this test method is to provide the user with floor tolerance estimates as follows:  
1.1.1.1 Local survey line waviness and overall surface waviness indices for floors based on deviations from the midpoints of imaginary chords as they are moved along a floor elevation profile survey line. End points of the chords are always in contact with the surface. The imaginary chords cut through any points in the concrete surface higher than the chords.  
1.1.1.2 Defined wheel path criteria based on transverse and longitudinal elevation differences, change in elevation difference, and root mean square (RMS) elevation difference.  
1.1.1.3 Levelness criteria for surfaces characterized by either of the following methods: the conformance of elevation data to the test section elevation data mean or the conformance of the RMS slope of each survey line to a specified slope for each survey line.  
1.1.2 The averages used throughout these calculations are RMS (that is, the quadratic means). This test method gives equal importance to humps and dips, measured up (+) and down (−), respectively, from the imaginary chords.  
1.1.3 Appendix X1 is a commentary on this test method. Appendix X2 provides a computer program for waviness index calculations based on this test method.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 30-Sep-2010
• ICS: 91.060.30 - Ceilings. Floors. Stairs
• Technical Committee: E06 - Performance of Buildings
• Drafting Committee: E06.21 - Serviceability

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E1486-98(2004) - Standard Test Method for Determining Floor Tolerances Using Waviness, Wheel Path and Levelness Criteria
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2010
• Referred By: ASTM F710-22 - Standard Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2010
• Referred By: ASTM E1486M-14(2022) - Standard Test Method for Determining Floor Tolerances Using Waviness, Wheel Path and Levelness Criteria (Metric)
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2010

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E1486 − 98(Reapproved 2010)
Standard Test Method for
Determining Floor Tolerances Using Waviness, Wheel Path
and Levelness Criteria
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1486; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
1.1 This test method covers data collection and analysis
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
procedures to determine surface flatness and levelness by
calculating waviness indices for survey lines and surfaces,
2. Referenced Document
elevation differences of defined wheel paths, and levelness
2.1 ASTM Standards:
indices using the inch-pound system of units.
E1486MTest Method for Determining Floor Tolerances
NOTE 1—This test method is the companion to SI Test Method
UsingWaviness,WheelPathandLevelnessCriteria(Met-
E1486M; therefore, no SI equivalents are shown in this test method.
ric)
NOTE2—Thistestmethodwasnotdevelopedfor,anddoesnotapplyto,
clay or concrete paver units.
3. Terminology
1.1.1 The purpose of this test method is to provide the user
with floor tolerance estimates as follows: 3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
1.1.1.1 Local survey line waviness and overall surface 3.1.1 defined wheel path traffıc—traffic on surfaces, or
waviness indices for floors based on deviations from the specifically identifiable portions thereof, intended for defined
midpoints of imaginary chords as they are moved along a floor linear traffic by vehicles with two primary axles and four
elevation profile survey line. End points of the chords are primary load wheel contact points on the floor and with
always in contact with the surface. The imaginary chords cut corresponding front and rear primary wheels in approximately
through any points in the concrete surface higher than the the same wheel paths.
chords.
3.1.2 levelness—describedintwoways:theconformanceof
1.1.1.2 Defined wheel path criteria based on transverse and
surface elevation data to the mean elevation of a test section
longitudinal elevation differences, change in elevation
(elevation conformance), and as the conformance of survey
difference, and root mean square (RMS) elevation difference.
line slope to a specified slope (RMS levelness).
1.1.1.3 Levelness criteria for surfaces characterized by ei-
3.1.2.1 elevation conformance—the percentage of surface
ther of the following methods: the conformance of elevation
elevation data, h, that lie within the tolerance specified from
i
datatothetestsectionelevationdatameanortheconformance
the mean elevation of a test section. The absolute value of the
of the RMS slope of each survey line to a specified slope for
distance of all points, h, from the test section data mean is
i
each survey line.
tested against the specification, dmax. Passing values are
1.1.2 The averages used throughout these calculations are
counted, and that total is divided by the aggregate quantity of
RMS (that is, the quadratic means). This test method gives
elevation data points for the test section and percent passing is
equal importance to humps and dips, measured up (+) and
reported.
down (−), respectively, from the imaginary chords.
3.1.2.2 RMS levelness—directionally dependent calculation
1.1.3 Appendix X1 is a commentary on this test method.
of the RMS of the slopes of the least squares fit line through
AppendixX2providesacomputerprogramforwavinessindex
successive 15-ft long sections of a survey line, L. The RMS
calculations based on this test method.
LV is compared with the specified surface slope and specified
L
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
maximum deviation to determine compliance.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
3.1.3 Waviness Index Terms:
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on
Performance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.21
on Serviceability. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2010. Published November 2010. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 1994. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as E1486–98 (2004). Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
DOI: 10.1520/E1486-98R10. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E1486 − 98 (2010)
3.1.3.1 chord length—the length of an imaginary straight-
A = area of test section, ft .
edge (chord) joining the two end points at j and j + 2k. This
d = point i,ofthe(15/s+1)pointsubsetof i=1to
length is equal to 2 ks (see Fig. 1) where the survey spacing s
imax, where d is a point within the (15/s+1)
isequalto1ftand kisequalto1,2,3,4,and5todefinechord point subset, used to evaluate RMS levelness.
dh = number of elevation data points of survey line,
lengths of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 ft, respectively, unless values for
L
L, which lie within the maximum allowable
s and k are otherwise stated.
deviation from the test section elevation data
3.1.3.2 deviation (D )—the vertical distance between the
kj
mean, dmax.
surface and the mid-point, j + ks, of a chord of length 2ks
D = deviation from chord midpoint,j+k, to the
kj
whose end points are in contact with the surface.
survey line, in.
dmax = specified maximum allowable deviation from
3.1.3.3 length adjusted RMS deviation (LAD )—calculated
k
the test section elevation data mean.
for a reference length L of 10 ft, unless otherwise stated, in
r
EC = the percentage of elevation data within a test
order to obtain deviations that are independent of the various
section complying to a specified maximum
chord lengths, 2ks.
deviation,dmax,fromthemeanofallelevation
3.1.3.4 waviness—therelativedegreetowhichasurveyline data points within a test section.
EC = the percentage compliance of each survey line
deviates from a straight line.
L
to a specified maximum deviation, dmax, from
3.1.4 Symbols:
the mean of all elevation data points within a
test section.
h = elevationofthepointsalongthesurveyline,in.
i
ha = elevation of the points along the survey line of
i
the left wheel path of defined wheel path
traffic, in.
hb = elevation of the points along the survey line of
i
the right wheel path of defined wheel path
traffic, in.
i = designation of the location of survey points
along a survey line (i =1, 2, 3 . imax ).
L
imax = total number of survey points along a survey
L
line.
FIG. 1 Explanation of Symbols
E1486 − 98 (2010)
imax = total number of survey points along one of the RMS LV = RMS levelness, calculated as the root mean
Lx L
pair of survey lines, Lx, representing the wheel square slope of each survey line, L, in./ft.
paths of defined wheel path traffic. s = spacingbetweenadjacentsurveypointsalonga
j = designation of the location of the survey point survey line (1 ft unless a smaller value is
which is the initial point for a deviation calcu- stated), ft.
SWI = surfacewavinessindexdeterminedbycombin-
lation (j =1, 2, 3 . jmax ).
k
jmax = total number of deviation calculations with a ing the waviness indices of all the survey lines
k
chord length 2ks along a survey line. on the test surface, in.
k = number of spaces of length s between the TD = transverse elevation difference between corre-
i
survey points used for deviation calculations. sponding points of defined wheel path traffic
kmax = maximum number (rounded down to an inte-
wheel paths, in.(i = 1, 2, 3 . . . imax ).
L
Lx
ger) of spaces of length s that can be used for TDC = incremental change in transverse elevation
i
deviation calculations for imax survey points difference, TD alongdefinedwheelpathtraffic
L i
(kmax =5 unless otherwise specified). wheel paths, in./ft (i = 1, 2, 3 . . . (im-
L
L = designation of survey lines (L =1, 2, 3 .
ax −1)).
Lx
Lmax). WI = waviness index for survey line L with chord
L
LAD = length-adjustedRMSdeviationbasedonpoints
lengthrangefrom2.0to10ftunlessadifferent
k
spaced at ks and a reference length of L .
range is stated, in.
r
Lg = totalnumberofsurveyspacesbetweenprimary
axles of a vehicle used as the basis for longi-
tudinal analysis of each pair of survey lines
3.2 Sign Convention—Up is the positive direction;
representing the wheel paths of defined wheel
consequently, the higher the survey point, the larger its h
i
path traffic. Lg equals the integer result of the
value.
primary axle spacing, ft, divided by s.
Lmax = the number of survey lines on the test surface.
4. Summary of Test Method
L = a reference length of 120 in., the length to
r
which the RMS deviations, RMS D , from
k 4.1 Equations—Equations are provided to determine the
chord lengths other than 120 in. are adjusted.
following characteristics:
LD = longitudinal elevation difference between cor-
i
4.1.1 Waviness Index Equations:
responding pairs of points separated by Lg of
4.1.1.1 RMS D =RMS deviation (see Eq 4).
k
defined wheel paths, mm (i =1, 2, 3 .
4.1.1.2 LAD =length-adjusted deviation (see Eq 5).
k
(imax − Lg)).
L
4.1.1.3 WI =waviness index (see Eq 6 and 7).
L
LDC = incremental change in longitudinal elevation
i
4.1.1.4 SWI =surface waviness index (see Eq 8).
difference, LD , along defined wheel path
i
traffic wheel paths, in./ft (i = 1, 2, 3 . 4.1.1.5 |D | =absolute value of the length adjusted devia-
kj
tion (see Eq 24).
(imax −Lg− 1)).
L
Lx = designation of the pair of survey lines used for
4.1.2 Defined Wheel Path Traffıc Equations:
defined wheel path traffic analysis.
4.1.2.1 TD =transverse elevation difference between the
i
mh = mean elevation of each 15-ft section of survey
d
wheel paths of defined wheel path traffic (see Eq 9).
line, L, mm (d =1, 2, 3 . (imax −15/s)).
L
4.1.2.2 TDC =transverse change in elevation difference
i
ms = mean slope of the least squares fit line of each
d
between wheel paths of defined wheel path traffic (see Eq 10).
15-ft section of survey line, L, in./ft (d = 1, 2,
4.1.2.3 RMS TD =RMS transverse elevation difference
Lx
3 . . . (imax −15/s)).
L
between wheel paths of defined wheel path traffic (see Eq 11).
n = total number of calculated deviations for sur-
L
4.1.2.4 LD = longitudinal elevation difference between
i
vey line L (equal to the sum of the values of
frontandrearaxlesonwheelpathsofdefinedwheelpathtraffic
jmax for all values of k that are used). The
k
(see Eq 12).
symbol n is a weighting factor used in calcu-
L
4.1.2.5 LDC =Longitudinal change in elevation difference
lating both the waviness and surface waviness
i
between front and rear axles on wheel paths of defined wheel
indices.
path traffic (see Eq 13).
RMS D = root mean square of chord midpoint offset
k
deviations, D , based on points spaced at ks. 4.1.2.6 RMS LD =RMS longitudinal elevation difference
kj Lx
RMS LD = root mean square of longitudinal elevation betweenaxlesonwheelpathsofdefinedwheelpathtraffic(see
Lx
differences, LD, on paired wheel path survey
Eq 14).
i
lines for defined wheel path traffic, with pri-
4.1.3 Levelness Equations:
mary axles separated by L , in.
g
4.1.3.1 mh =mean elevation of survey line, L, calculated
L
RMS TD = root mean square of transverse elevation
Lx
for use only in calculating mh (see Eq 15).
TS
differences, TD, on paired wheel path survey
i
4.1.3.2 mh =mean elevation of a test section, calculated
TS
lines for defined wheel path traffic, in.
for use only in calculating dh (see Eq 16).
L
E1486 − 98 (2010)
4.1.3.3 dh =numberofelevationdatapointsofsurveyline, 4.6 Waviness Index—Length-Adjusted Deviations: LAD is
L k
L,passingthespecification,dmax,usedforcalculatingbothEC calculated for a reference length, L , using Eq 5.
r
L and EC (see Eq 17 and 18).
4.1.3.4 EC =percentage of elevation data points on survey
L
jmax
k
L
r
line, L, that comply with dmax (see Eq 19).
D
F G
kj
(
2ks
i51
4.1.3.5 EC =percentage of elevation data points within a
LAD 5 in. (5)
!
k
jmax
k
test section complying with dmax (see Eq 20).
4.7 Waviness Index—The values of LAD obtained for each
k
4.1.3.6 mh =meanelevationofeach15-ftsectionofsurvey
d
value of k shall be combined with other LAD values for each
line, L,calculatedforuseonlyincalculatingRMS LV (seeEq
L
line L by weighing the values in proportion to jmax to obtain
21). k
the waviness index, WI .
L
4.1.3.7 ms =meanslopeoftheleastsquaresfitlineofeach
d
15-ft section of survey line, L, calculated for use only in
calculating RMS LV (see Eq 22). kmax
L
L
~jmax LAD !
( k k
4.1.3.8 RMSLV =RMSofleastsquaresfit15-ftslopes(see
L
k51
WI 5 in. (6)
!
Eq 23). L
n
L
where
4.2 Waviness Index—Chord Length Range:
4.2.1 Unless a different range is specified, the waviness
kmax
L
index, WI , shall be calculated for a 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ft
L
n 5 jmax (7)
L ( k
k51
chord length range.
4.8 SurfaceWavinessIndex—Theindividualvaluesofwavi-
4.2.2 Thechordlength,2ks,islimitedbythetotalnumberof
ness index, WI , obtained for each survey line shall be
survey points along a survey line. To ensure that the elevation
L
combined to give a surface waviness index, SWI, by combin-
of every survey point is included in the deviation calculation
ing them in proportion to n .
thatusesthelargestvalueof k,themaximumvalueof k,called
L
kmax , is determined by:
L
L
max
n WI
kmax 5 imax /3 roundeddowntoaninteger (1) ( L L
~ !
L L
L51
SWI 5 in. (8)
L
max
4.2.3 Reduce the maximum chord length so that 2(kmax )s
L !
n
( L
L51
is approximately equal to the maximum length that is of
4.9 Defined Wheel Path Calculations:
concern to the user.
4.9.1 TransverseElevationDifference—TD iscalculatedfor
i
NOTE 3—For longer survey lines, kmax , which is determined using Eq
L
a pair of wheel path survey lines, using Eq 9(i=1,2,3.
1, permits the use of chord lengths, 2ks, longer than those of interest or
imax ).
Lx
concern to the floor user.
4.2.4 The maximum chord length for suspended floor slabs
TD 5 hb 2 ha in. (9)
~ !
i i i
shall be 4 ft, unless the slab has been placed without camber
where TD is positive when the right wheel path is higher
i
and the shoring remains in place.
than the left and negative when the right wheel path is lower
than the left.
4.3 Waviness Index—Maximum Number of Deviation Mea-
surements per Chord Length:
4.9.2 Transverse Change in Elevation Difference—TDCis
i
4.3.1 As the values of k are increased from 1 to kmax , the
calculatedforeachpairofwheelpathsurveylinesusi
...